Jeff Giles

The opening for a new INXS lead singer has been in a state of flux since Michael Hutchence’s untimely death in 1997. Even though details have seemed more uncertain than ever, it turns out that Ciaran Gribbon has taken over the reins with the new leaked demo, ‘Tiny Summer.’

Prior to this announcement, rumors sparked that the mystery voice belonged to none other than Hutchence’s old friend Bono. However, U2 fans needn’t worry anymore about their favorite front man going back on the gig market.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has mailed out the ballots for its 27th annual list of potential inductees, leaving it to the organization’s 500 voters to pick the winners from an eclectic group that includes first-time nominees as well as returning contenders.

Newly eligible artists who made this year’s cut include Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Guns N’ Roses, Heart, and Eric B. & Rakim, while the Beastie Boys, Donna Summer, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the veteran hopefuls.

For fans of Van Halen‘s original lineup, the band’s last three decades or so have been punctuated with more than a few frustrations and disappointments, including their brief reunion with David Lee Roth in 1996, bassist Michael Anthony’s rudely handled dismissal, and an overall lack of new music since a pair of new tracks were appended to the double-disc ‘Best of Both Worlds’ compilation way back in 2004.

Roth has been back in the band since 2006, with rumors of a new album persistently surfacing over the last five years. The buzz has grown louder than ever this year, and for awhile, it looked like this might finally be the year Van Halen came back — but it looks like we’ll have to keep on waiting.

He’s definitely best known for his acting résumé, but William Shatner isn’t just the guy who played James T. Kirk, T.J. Hooker, and Denny Crane; he’s actually enjoyed a long, albeit sporadic and rather irony-drenched, recording career, releasing four albums (including a double live release) over the last 25 years.

It might say 2011 on your calendar, but this fall, it’s 1991 all over again, what with deluxe reissues of 20-year-old albums from bands including U2, Spin Doctors, and Pearl Jam, whose landmark debut ‘Ten’ was the inspiration for a new documentary from none other than ‘Singles’ and ‘Jerry Maguire’ director Cameron Crowe.

The film, titled ‘Pearl Jam Twenty,’ is getting a hefty double-disc soundtrack that includes live tracks, demos, and assorted rarities from Pearl Jam’s vaults — and although it doesn’t come out until September 20, you can listen to the whole thing now.

Vince Gill is one of country’s most distinctive singers, but he’s more than just a pretty voice — he’s also one of the industry’s most gifted guitarists.

One person who’s aware of those gifts? Alice Cooper, who asked Gill to add a little spice to a track from Cooper’s upcoming album, ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ — and Gill responded with a hard-rockin’ solo that might take some of his longtime fans by surprise.

Being proudly provocative has always been part of rock ‘n’ roll — from the music’s earliest days, when simply shaking one’s hips on television was enough to send middle-aged Americans into a righteous lather, the formula for some of the best rock has been one part rhythm, one part volume, and one part shock.

This has also been true for album covers, which some of rock’s most forward-thinking performers have used as a platform to shock, disturb, annoy, and generate thought-provoking conversation (although not necessarily in that order). It’s a long rock ‘n’ roll tradition — one celebrated with a new list over at Ultimate Classic Rock.

They’ve been out of the limelight for awhile, but Canadian rockers Loverboy — whose string of ’80s hits included ‘Working for the Weekend’ and ‘Turn Me Loose’ — are on the comeback trail.

The band convened recently to record a new single, ‘Heartbreaker,’ with Bob Rock, the producer who was behind the boards for their biggest hits. Although it doesn’t look like a full-length album is in the cards anytime soon, singer Mike Reno says he’s lovin’ every minute of life in Loverboy.

They have an all-star lineup and a pair of top five albums to their credit, so what’s keeping Velvet Revolver from soldiering on without departed vocalist Scott Weiland?

According to drummer Matt Sorum, the band has tried — even going so far as to record an entire album’s worth of new material with Slipknot/Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor. But it hasn’t panned out — so far, anyway.

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